Police shot and killed a man Saturday afternoon during a standoff after a brief chase in West Wendover, according to authorities .
The shooting happened North of the Chevron gas station on Wendover Boulevard, last Saturday December 8th.
The shooting is being investigated by the Elko County Sheriff’s Office.
Elko County Sheriff’s Lt. Kevin McKinney said the incident began after a West Wendover officer saw a dark grey pickup truck driving “recklessly” on Wendover Boulevard around 12:45 p.m.
Lt. Don Lininger from the West Wendover Police Department, said that when the officer tried to pull the truck over, the driver didn’t stop, and other officers joined the pursuit. The man lead officers on a brief pursuit ending with a minor crash at the West Side Chevron gas station on Wendover Boulevard.
The driver, 41-year-old James Robertson, fled on foot north of the Chevron and he had a knife out. The officers pursued Robertson on foot up a hill behind one of the gas station restrooms, and tried to talk him down, to put his knife down. He was already drenched in his own blood on both arms, as he already had slashed his own throat with his knife.
Robertson continued walking away from the officers and then, said Lininger, he turned his aggression toward the officers, he raised his knife and began walking toward the officers. That officer he was walking toward had his gun drawn and he had to shoot him to stop him. The officer shot him five times and the man then fell to the ground, rolling four or five times. Life saving efforts were rendered on scene. However, Robertson died of his injuries.
Don continued: “We don’t want to shoot anyone, we are here to protect. We were trying to talk him down, get him safe, but he had already shawn obvious disregard to public safety and to his own. I believe a reasonable officer would have acted the same way. Me, myself, I am not going to let him close to me with a knife.”
No officers were injured during the incident. The man has not yet been identified.
The officers involved are on administrative leave pending the results of the investigation, McKinney said.
The Elko county sheriff’s department is taking the lead investigative duties into this incident. The mental status, motives and actions of the driver leading up to this incident are part of the on-going investigation.
